The Grand March
The Heartlands of Nyrondie Geography and Climate The Grand March, also known as the Heartlands of Nyrondie, is a vast realm, which stretches from the Shield Mountains in the northeast to the borders of Theyonwy and Averistra in the southwest. It is dominated by a large plain, which stretches for many hundreds of miles, but large mountain ranges split it into several smaller sections. It ranges from temperate in the south, to snowy and frigid in the north. The northern extreme touches the Icewave Sea, and this territory is only clear of snow for a few months in the summer. Political System The Grand March has no unifying government or political force. It is mostly dominated by extensive wilderness, sparsely populated with small redoubts, fortresses, and walled cities, which are ruled by small-time kings, dukes, and other such figures. These small enclaves of civilization are often surrounded by farmlands, but nowhere are these farmlands particularly extensive or widespread. Rather, they are only found in close proximity to the safety of the walled cities. Weak or non-walled cities and towns don't last very long in the Grand March. The wilds are filled with strange and wondrous creatures. The large expanses of forest are home to many Fey creatures, both fair and foul. Lizardfolk, Koa-Toa, and other semi-aquatic creatures claim the swamps and riverlands as their domains. Orcs, goblins, and other vaguely humanoid races wander the plains in tribes and prey on anything weaker than themselves. Even stranger and fouler creatures roam the lawless lands between the cities, and no traveler walks unarmed, or alone, save the rangers and druids who embrace the wilds and the dangers there. History of the Realm The Grand March was home to the first Bernic men who crossed the Shield Mountains from the Wastes. Finding it temperate, they settled along the Vo, the largest river in the realm. They soon found that a wild magic seemed to pervade the place, for the creatures that plagued them were strange and monstrous. They built walled cities to keep themselves safe, and soon began to spread across the realm. However, nature itself seemed to resist them, and many cities were simply swallowed up by the wilds. The men of the March were not able to grow numerous, and many migrated further south and west, into Dyan and Theyonwy, leaving the wild magic of the March behind. During the rise of the Averistran empire, there were many attempts to settle and colonize it. These all failed, sometimes spectacularly. The Daelish men were particularly ill suited for the things they found here, and those who survived the initial months retreated back into civilized lands. Among the expanse of trees and overgrowth lie many ancient ruins, the last remnants of some lost civilization. Many scholarly theories speculate on the origins of these ruins, although the few structures that remain tell little of the former inhabitants. These sites are often ransacked by treasure hunters and archaeologists, but there are still some left in the wilds, untouched for hundreds if not thousands of years. The People of the Grand March The people of the March are hardy folk. They have withstood the forces of nature, and other less natural forces, for centuries and have carved out their own place in the wilds. They are less religious than the people of the southern realms, but they understand their place in the world, and recognize their reliance on the Divines. Unlike the men of Dyan, who are xenophobic and insular, the people of the Grand March are usually quite welcoming to strangers, and the laws of hospitality are strong throughout the realm. Humans are the most common of the mortal races throughout the Grand March. However, the other races have a strong showing, with dwarves and halflings making up a large percentage of the population. Many of those elves who leave their home Isle of Stelyth travel to the Grand March, drawn by the wild magic that seems to pervade the forests and fields. Gnomes and dragonborn are about as common here as they are anywhere else in Nyrondie, outside their homelands. Goliaths, although rare, can be found in the March, usually working in some martial capacity.